Improvement in car-couplings



E. S. PERRY & R. H. BOWLING.

CAR-GOUPLIITG. No.174,84:7. Pate-matriarch14,1876.

WlTNESSES INVENTORS flaw/10%,

i Z i ATTORNEYS Nrrno STATES FATENT CFFICE.

ELKANAH S. PERRY AND ROBERT H. DOWLING, OF NEWARK, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,847, dated March14, 1876 application filed October 16, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ELKANAH S. PERRY andRonnn'r H. DOWLING, of Newark, in the county of Licking and State ofOhio, have -invented a new and valuable Improvement Figure l of thedrawing is a representation of a perspective view of our car-couplin g,and Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are side views of thesame.

This invention has relation to improvements in car-couplings; and itconsists in combining, with a draw-bar having upon its upper horizontalfront edge a raised hook, a vertically-vibrating metallic bail, pivotedto the sides of the draw-bar, and provided with operating-arms extendingbeyond the pivot, whereby means are provided for coupling cars eitherautomatically or by hand, as will be hereinafter more fully explainedand claimed.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A represents a metallic draw-bar,which is, preferably, provided with a chamber, a, of the usual form, thepurpose ofwhich will be hereinafter made clear. The head Z), in whichthis chamber is formed, is provid.d with a reduced shank, b, by means ofwhich it is secured to the car, in the customary manner, and a shoulder,c, is formed, which, being extended upward, forms a nose, d, above theupper surface of the draw-bar, which, abutting against the frame-work ofthe car, arrests the backward movement of the said drawbar. It is alsoprovided upon its upper front edge with a raised hook, h, having aconcave rounded rear edge, the object of which will be hereinafterapparent. a

B represents a strong metallic bail, which is pivoted, by means of arod, 6, to the sides of the draw-bar. This bail is provided withoperating arms or extensions f at each end, which project above theupper edge of the draw-bar, when it is allowed to hang below the saiddraw-bar, in the position shown in Fig. 2, and which are bentrearwardly, so as in no wise to interfere with the functions of hooks h.This bail has free vertical vibration in relation to the draw-bar, andis capable of being thrown upward and backward, as shown in Fig. 1, whenits free rounded end will rest upon the raised nose (1, with the arms orextensions f projecting beyond the vertical face of the draw-bar, asshown in' Fig. 1, or of being thrown downward and under, when it willabut against a shoulder, d, on each side of the said drawbar, as shownin 2, thus causing it to be recessed into its sides, and preventing itfrom being casually battered out of shape by the coming together of thedraw-bars in the act of coupling. The bail B being thrown up and backinto the position shown in Fig. 1, its arms or extensions will be struckby thefront of the draw-bar of the car approaching to be coupled, andwill be thrust backward with considerable violence, causing the loopedend g of the bail to be vibrated to the front beyond the vertical planeof the pivot 6, when it will fall over the hook it of-the said car, andthereby effect a coupling. This result may be obtained by hand whendesired, by first bringing the cars together, and then thrusting arms orextensionsfbackward, the effect beingprecisely as above described. BailsB are provided with spaced perforations i, which, pivot 6 beingremovable, will allow the said bails to be lengthened or shortened when,from any cause, it proves necessary or desirable. The front edge ofchambered draw-bar A- is provided with a vertical perforation, extendingthrough hook and the lower edge of the draw-bar, which, should bail Bget out of order, will allow the usual pin-and-link couplers to beemployed. These last may also be used at the same time as the bails B,when, as in ascending a grade, a great strain is expected.

What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The adjustable vertically-vibrating bail B, having arms or extensions f,in combination with a draw-bar, A, having hook it, substantially asspecified.

In testimony that we claim the above we have hereunto subscribed ournames in the presence of two witnesses.

ELKANAH S. PERRY. ROBERT H. DOWLING.

Witnesses:

J OEL M. DENNIS, EDsoN B. DENNIS.

